Two UT Martin students arrested by FBI over alleged threat through Facebook

photo Erin Chism
photo Patrick Valdez

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has arrested two University of Tennessee at Martin students over what it said was the sending of a threatening message last month through Facebook.

The two, Patrick Valdez and Erin Chism, both 18 and of Martin, Tenn., were charged with a count of felony harassment and a count of felony conspiracy to commit harassment.

The TBI had been asked on Tuesday by the 27th Judicial District Attorney General to investigate allegations the two were involved in a University of Tennessee at Knoxville student having gotten a threatening message on her Facebook page a month ago.

In a news release, the TBI said Valdez wrote and produced a song that "made reference to sexually assaulting and killing the victim, killing her family and burning their house down."

The TBI release alleged that Chism friended the victim on Facebook and sent the song to her.

The release said Valdez had at one time had a relationship with the victim.

Valdez and Chism, who were booked into the Weakley County Jail, are expected to be arraigned in court today.

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